Danny Welbeck has urged his Under-21 team-mates to follow in Adam Johnson's footsteps and make the leap into England's senior squad.

Welbeck scored twice and created the other goal in the 3-0 victory over Lithuania in Colchester yesterday, the win by Stuart Pearce's team ensuring that England will be in Friday's draw for next month's play-offs to reach the 2011 European Championship.

Welbeck, the Manchester United striker on loan at Sunderland, is conscious that he and a squad that features Jack Wilshere, Daniel Sturridge, Michael Mancienne, Chris Smalling and Tom Cleverly could be next in line for selection by the head coach, Fabio Capello.

Asked if England's future was safe considering the talent in the team, Welbeck said: "Yeah, definitely. There's talent all over the team as you saw [against Lithuania]. Maybe some things didn't come off at points but in training there's talent, there's even players who aren't here whose talents are unbelievable. I've seen some quality players — Tom Cleverly is going to be a real star. I really rate him highly."

Welbeck has watched as James Milner, Theo Walcott and Johnson have progressed to the senior side having played for Pearce. "It makes you know that it can be done – you can see them going up and joining the senior squad, so it gives you that little bit of belief and inspiration that you can do it yourself. But I think most [of us] are looking more short term. If that chance comes we'll be over the moon."

Pearce also offers encouragement and a sense of reality, Welbeck added.

"He points out that players have stepped up and that it's not always going to be [that] you go up and you're there for rest of the time. It's going to be a rocky ride – you could go up, come down, go up come down."

England lost in the final of the last European Championship to Germany but if the team reach next summer's tournament Welbeck would welcome the spotlight the competition offers. "It's massive really. People all over the world will be watching it. If you step up the plate there I'm sure there will be a lot of eyes on you."

Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira, Manuel Neuer and Jérôme Boateng were all in the Germany side who humbled England 4-0 in 2009 and subsequently starred at last summer's World Cup.

Does Welbeck imagine he and his colleagues can emulate them? "I'd say [we think] more short term as there's still a lot of hard work to be done before we get to the tournament. We're looking to the next play-off game and then we'll go from there. Hopefully we'll keep progressing and working hard in training and doing the stuff on the pitch."